1. Field of the Invention
The object of the invention is a flexible plastic container for the spatially separated storage and, optionally, selective sterilization of the ingredients of preparations for parenteral or enteral use comprising tree compartments and the use of the container.
2. Description of the Related Art
EP-0 295 204 B1 describes a container for medical use, in particular a container for infusions consisting of an envelope made of a flexible, homogeneous, polymerized material which is divided into three compartments separated from each other by leaktight welds of the envelope material and each of said compartments is provided with a occluded passage which can be opened deliberately to enable the contents of the part of the interior space to flow into another one, wherein the container has two adjacent parts (3,4) of the interior space within the upper portion thereof and one part (5) of the interior space within the lower portion thereof and is intended for taking up and mixing subsequently lipids, amino acids, and sugars just before the use thereof, wherein each interior part is provided with one occluded opening in order to supply the compound through said opening or to discharge the contents thereof through said opening outwards, and wherein the material of the envelope is chemically and biologically inert against any envisaged compound and the mixtures thereof.
DE 94 01 288 U1 pertains a multichamber bag having at least two chambers being arranged one upon another during the mixing stage and being surrounded by an exterior boundary, said chambers being separated from one another by at least one bar and forming an upper chamber and a mixing chamber, said bag having at least one connecting device being arranged within the bar and being closed by a locking device which is to be opened, said connecting device providing a flow connection between the chambers after being opened, said bag having at least one hang up opening at the upper boundary region and a discharge device being arranged at the mixing chamber as well as a second discharge device being opposite to said former discharge device and being arranged in the circumferential region of the mixing chamber.
With said plastic containers according to prior art mixing of the separate components of the preparations for parenteral or enteral use is possible without time-consuming kneading of the bags by the hospital personnel after opening the ports. Upon opening the ports, the ingredients of the upper compartments being in working position flow without expenditure of mechanical energy due to gravitational force into the lower mixing chamber. However, the spatial arrangement of the ingredients, in particular according to EP 0 295 204 B1, results in a relatively long mixing time before the solution can be administered to the patient.